Data carriers of this kind and methods for production thereof have been known for some time, being described for example in “Handbuch der Chipkarten”, W. Rankl, W. Effing, Hansa-Verlag, Munich, 4th edition. The data carriers accordingly consist of a card body produced by connecting a plurality of layers or by injection molding, in which an IC is embedded. In the contact-type form, the IC is located in a module which is inserted as a mounted element into a specially prepared recess in the card body. The module bears on its upper side a contact pad which is flush with the surface of the data carrier and becomes part of said surface. The mounting of the module in the recess is effected using an adhesive in such a way that the adhesive at least predominantly fills the free spaces between module contour and recess. The contact pad of the module and the card surface in this manner form a flat surface. In the contactless form of the data carrier, the IC and an antenna connected thereto are located completely within the card body. Although IC and antenna form disturbances with respect to the evenness of the card body, flat card surfaces are normally obtained nevertheless without further measures because IC and antenna form relatively small or filigree structures. However, when large-area mounted elements such as batteries, or wire-embedded coils wound in a plurality of planes, are to be integrated into a card body or placed toward its surface, the attainment of a satisfactorily flat card surface is no longer guaranteed with conventional production methods.
For overcoming this difficulty there is known from DE 196 45 071 A1 the proposal of inserting the mounted elements into prepared recesses and filling the resulting free spaces with adhesive pressurelessly with the help of a stencil and a doctor knife, there being so much adhesive applied to the surface with the mounted elements that after removal of the stencil the entire card body surface located within the stencil is covered with an adhesive layer. While still in the plastic state there is subsequently applied over the adhesive layer a cover foil, and the thereafter existing structure is then cured between a mold surface and a carrier. There finally arises a data carrier having a very flat surface which is formed by the cover foil. However, the method requires the provision of precision tools otherwise not customary in the production of cards, namely a stencil and a mold surface as part of the curing apparatus which determines the flatness of the surface. The handling of the stencil is also impaired by its coming in contact with the adhesive.